Registered Nurse Jobs in Detroit, MI
Registered nurses in metro Detroit earn a median of about $46.77 an hour, and Henry Ford Hospital, the DMC and Corewell are all posting RN openings from Midtown to Royal Oak. Here are the current RN jobs, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed in Michigan.
Current registered nurse Openings in Detroit, MI
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Detroit
Detroit's RN jobs cluster in two places. The first is the hospital core along Woodward: Henry Ford Hospital on West Grand Boulevard in New Center, and just south in Midtown the Detroit Medical Center campus, Karmanos and the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center on John R Street. The second is the suburban ring, where Henry Ford Health's joint venture with Ascension Michigan added hospitals such as Henry Ford St. John and Providence Southfield, and Corewell Health East runs William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak plus hospitals in Dearborn, Troy, Farmington Hills and the Downriver suburbs of Taylor and Trenton.
Because those systems sit minutes apart on I-75, I-94 and the Lodge, they compete for the same nurses, which shows up in sign-on bonuses and float pool roles. Henry Ford has advertised $5,000 to $10,000 bonuses for operating room and home health RNs. Nursing homes inside the city, including Ciena Healthcare's Omni Continuing Care and Sheffield Manor, are a steady second market for RNs who prefer long-term care.
Top Detroit Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
These Detroit-area employers are posting RN roles on their own career sites:
- Henry Ford Health - Henry Ford Hospital in New Center hires RNs for neuro ICU, inpatient, oncology, ambulatory and float pool units.
- Detroit Medical Center - Tenet's DMC posts RN roles at Sinai-Grace, Harper-Hutzel, Children's Hospital of Michigan and the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan.
- Corewell Health - the former Beaumont system hires RNs at Royal Oak, Troy, Dearborn, Farmington Hills, Taylor and Trenton hospitals.
- John D. Dingell VA Medical Center - the Midtown VA hospital recruits staff and advanced practice nurses through USAJOBS.
- Ciena Healthcare - the long-term care operator hires staff, charge and unit manager RNs at Detroit nursing centers such as Omni Continuing Care.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Detroit
- Entry level: about $37 to $41 an hour for new graduate RNs at metro hospitals.
- Experienced: roughly $42 to $50 an hour, around a metro median of $46.77.
- Senior: about $50 to $54 or more an hour for charge nurses and specialty units.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Detroit metro and local postings. Some long-term care postings in the city start lower, around $32 to $35 an hour. Pay rises with a BSN, specialty experience in ICU, operating room or emergency units, night and weekend differentials, and sign-on bonuses at the hospital systems.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Detroit
You need an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, a passing score on the NCLEX-RN, and a license from the Michigan Board of Nursing, which sits within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Michigan also requires one-time human trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit bias training before a license is issued. Local routes include the BSN and Second Degree BSN at Wayne State University's College of Nursing in Midtown, the BSN and Second Degree Option at the University of Detroit Mercy on McNichols Road, the nursing associate degree at Henry Ford College's East Campus in Dearborn, and Wayne County Community College District's LPN to RN Bridge program at its Ted Scott Campus in Belleville.
What the Job Involves
Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and IV therapy, carry out physician orders, monitor vital signs and lab results, and document every step in the electronic health record. They educate patients and families, coordinate with doctors, therapists and nursing assistants, and on most hospital units work 12 hour shifts that rotate through nights, weekends and holidays.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Michigan RN license
- Basic Life Support (BLS), plus ACLS or PALS for critical care units
- Electronic health record charting
- Clinical judgment and patient assessment
- Calm communication with patients, families and care teams
- Flexibility for 12 hour and rotating shifts
Career Path and Advancement
Most Detroit RNs start on a medical-surgical or float pool unit, then move into specialty units such as ICU, emergency, oncology or the operating room after a year or two. Experienced nurses step up to charge nurse, clinical nurse specialist or nurse manager, roles that appear regularly at Henry Ford Hospital and the DMC. An RN with a BSN can return to Wayne State or Detroit Mercy for a graduate degree and move into nurse practitioner or leadership roles.
Related Careers in Detroit
For a wider look at medical work in the city, see this Detroit guide:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do registered nurses make in Detroit?
Federal wage data for the Detroit metro puts the RN median at about $46.77 an hour, or roughly $97,000 a year. Most nurses earn between about $37.50 and $53 an hour, and long-term care roles can start lower.
How do I get an RN license in Michigan?
Finish an approved nursing program, pass the NCLEX-RN and apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing through LARA. Michigan also requires human trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit bias training before the license is issued.
Where can I go to nursing school in Detroit?
Wayne State University and the University of Detroit Mercy offer BSN and second degree programs inside the city. Henry Ford College in Dearborn offers a nursing associate degree, and WCCCD runs an LPN to RN Bridge program for practical nurses.
Which Detroit hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Corewell Health has posted combined RN or graduate nurse med-surg roles in Royal Oak, and the DMC hires nursing students as nurse externs on its Detroit units, a common path into a first RN job. Check each system's current postings, since new graduate hiring often runs in cohorts.
Do Detroit hospitals pay sign-on bonuses for nurses?
Yes, for some roles. Henry Ford Health has advertised $5,000 sign-on bonuses for operating room nurses and $10,000 for home health RNs. Bonuses change often and usually require a work commitment, so confirm the terms on the posting.
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